Revamped O-line now a Titans strength

When last we saw the Titans on the field, the team’s starting offensive line consisted of the following: left tackle Michael Roos, left guard Fernando Velasco, center Kyle DeVan, right guard Deuce Lutui and right tackle Byron Stingily.

Other offensive linemen who saw action for the Titans in the season finale were Mike Otto and Mitch Petrus.

Needless to say, things should look far different up front for the Titans in the coming year.

Roos will still serve as the veteran anchor at left tackle, but the big free-agent addition of Andy Levitre fills a huge need at starting left guard for the Titans and Thursday’s drafting of Chance Warmack will be a huge upgrade at right guard. Throw in the expected return to full health of right tackle David Stewart and the likely shift back to center for Fernando Velasco – who started 13 games at the position last year – and the Titans could, at least potentially, have one of the better offensive lines in the league.

Even the depth of the interior line looks a lot better for the coming season, as the Titans have signed guard/centers Rob Turner and Chris Spencer. Turner started all 16 games for St. Louis last season, while Spencer has 89 career starts, including five last year in Chicago.

How much of a difference should all the offensive line upgrades make for the Titans?

Well, consider that things really started to go downhill for the line in the 12th game of 2012, when both Stewart and guard Steve Hutchinson suffered season-ending injuries early in the same contest.

Over those last five games, running back Chris Johnson was held under 60 yards four times, while quarterback Jake Locker threw three touchdowns, seven interceptions and was sacked 20 times.

Given those kinds of numbers, it’s no wonder we saw Johnson offer a succinct and self-explanatory tweet when the Titans drafted Warmack: “THANK GOD”

Why advertise on goTitans.com?

With 3500+ members and over 1 million posts, goTitans.com is the place for Tennessee Titans fans to talk Titans. Created in 2000, we have multiple advertising opportunities available for those interested. Email TitanJeff for more information.

The Tip Jar

For those of you interested in helping the cause, we offer The Tip Jar. For $2 a month, you can become a subscriber and enjoy goTitans.com without ads.